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USAF LTC Burton Bridgewater (Ret) WWII, Korea, Vietnam

1999
—Utah

321stBG, 448thBS, Lt. Burton "RED" Bridgewater graduated from Flight School (Class 43-H) with 321stBG, 448thBS, Lt Erle G "Swanny" Swanson and 321stBG, 446thBS, Lt John "Jack" Fitzgerald. The tree of them flew over the Atlantic, the Southern Route, in a B-26 Replacement Group with the (to-be) C. O. Maj. Paul Cooper. Once there, Cooper and Fitzgerald were assigned to the 446th BS, Barbour and Swanson to the 448th BS of the 321st Bomb Group, B-25 Combat Medium Bombers over Italy, etc.

Both "Red" Barbour and "Swanny" Swanson were witness to the wedding of Lt John "Jack" Fitzgerald. Jack and Yvette (Allie) Fitzgerald remained married, lived to near 90 years each and raised 9 children! Jack and Yvette's 1st born/son John T Fitzgerald is one of the 321st BG Historical Research Team (with Patti Johnson and Barbi Ennis Connolly) in the 57th Bomb Wing and is doing AMAZING work in assembling the complete History of the 321st BG and now, the 310th BG!

He was born October 26, 1921 in Kewanee, IL to Claude M. and Rachel M. DeWolf. Burt married Lucille A. Buchinger, who later died. They had a daughter, Corinne. On November 8, 1947, he married Mary A. Nadeau and they had three daughters. He was an Air Force Pilot, who served his country during World War II, Korea and Vietnam.

Funeral services will be held at 9 a.m. on Thursday, February 11, 1999 at St. Andrews Catholic Church. Burial will follow at 12:30 p.m. at Florence National Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 6-7:30 p.m. on Wednesday at McMillan-Small Funeral Home, with a Rosary at 7 p.m.